The Disappearance of Flight MH370

On March 8, 2014, the MH370 from Malaysia Airlines took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing with passengers and crew numbering 239. Less than one hour after its start, the plane vanished from the screen, leaving one of the greatest aviation mysteries ever. Twelve years after its loss, even after the massive search operation and endless speculations, the reason for the loss of the plane remains unknown. This has given rise to far-reaching speculations from potential cases of suicides by the pilots through potential machinery faults all the way through conspiracy against the governments.

MH370 departed the gate at 12:41 local time, and radio communication with the air authority continued until 1:19 AM when the very last voice communication—“Good night. Malaysian three-seven-zero”—was sent. Shortly afterward, the plane’s transponder stopped operating, severing its connection from the civilian radar. Military radar picked up the plane after the sudden turn west over the Malay Peninsula and turned south over the immense space of the Indian Ocean.

At 8:19 AM, close to seven hours after the beginning of the flight, the last known signal from the plane arrived through the satellite, suggesting the plane had flown until its fuel ran out. However, the reason for the sharp deviation from the track and the crash is unknown, owing to the nonexistence of the main wreckage and the black box.

The search for MH370 became one of the largest and most expensive aviation search operations ever. An initial search was conducted in the South China Sea where the plane vanished. But when the satellite data showed its route, the search widened thousands of miles west over the enormous, deep waters of the Indian Ocean where the recovery operation became overwhelmingly daunting.

Between 2014 and the year 2017, the search enlisted the partnership of Malaysia, Australia, and China, sweeping the ocean seafloor for more than 120,000 kilometers. Even when high-tech sonar equipment, submersible drones, and submersible deep-sea craft were deployed, nothing from the main wreckage could be found. In the year 2018, the U.S.-based firm, Ocean Infinity, also undertook the search utilizing the latest available subsea scan equipment. Unfortunately, their activities also did not bear anything.

Some wreckage, however, did surface. In 2015, MH370 flaperon turned up along the coast of the French island of Réunion, along the west coast of the Indian Ocean. In the next several years, debris turned up along the coastlines of Madagascar, the coast of Mozambique, and coastal territories. These pieces validated the crash of the aircraft, however nothing from the crash.

The mystery of MH370 has incited scorching controversy and endless speculations.

One of the best hypotheses is the theory that the flight was flown by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah on a crash mission by choice. This is endorsed by supporters alleging the flight simulators from his computer mirroring the route flown by the final flight. But nothing can conclusively confirm him for the act being by choice.

Some experts speculate the plane became incapacitated by cataclysmic breakdown, maybe fire or sudden decompression, and the plane flew under its automated mode until the crash. This is not the only scenario possible, however, for the steep turn and the extended length the plane spent airborne. In the wake of the crash, speculations flowed about the possible hijacking. However, no terrorist organization ever claimed the incident, and all passengers and flight attendants were screened for anything suspicious.

Some conspiracy theorists suggest the loss entailed military intervention, errant missile strikes, or suppressed knowledge beyond the authorities’ knowledge. These speculations, however alluring, fail the test of hard evidence.

The disappearance of MH370 set the global aviation sector into sweeping reforms for global aviation security regulations. Air carriers now require ongoing real-time tracking for planes over distant locations, preventing planes from being able to “go dark” as MH370 did. Black box equipment is also being revamped, where the latest models will expel flight recorders upon crash impact, making them easier for them to find.

While the technical enigma remains fascinating for specialists, the human toll from the loss of MH370 is incalculable. For the life of the 239 passengers, the silence has extended their trauma and uncertainty. For many years, the relatives called for the resumption of search missions by the authorities and private operators alike, yearning for some measure of closure after over a dozen years. As the 11th anniversary of MH370 approaches, the expectation is maintained that one day the wreckage will be found, providing the much-needed answers. Ocean Infinity has emerged proposing the revamped search operation using the latest deep-sea equipment, the potential for the mystery finally being solved. In the meantime, MH370 is one of the most poignant aviation mysteries of the day—a phenomenon continuously sending the aviation sector searching for answers, triggering conspiracy, and setting the world onto the reality of the precarious nature of man-made flight.